A day before the opening of the Sabarimala Temple, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that he will not allow anyone to take law and order into their hands.
The Kerala unit of Shiv Sena had warned of committing mass suicide if women in the age group of 10-50 are allowed to enter the temple.
On 13 October, the Shiv Sena had said that its women members will be part of the suicide group which will gather near the Pamba river on 17 and 18 October.
But Vijayan said on Tuesday that his government will implement the Supreme Court order according to which no woman can be restricted from entering the temple.
“We will not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. The government will ensure facilities to devotees to go to Sabarimala Temple and offer prayers,” he said.
Vijayan, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), rejected calls for a review petition.
“Government will not submit a review petition. We’ve said in court that we’ll implement the order,” he asserted.
Peringammala Aji, a senior leader of Shiv Sena Kerala, had said that his party members will be stationed at various places in and around the Sabarimala temple to check that no woman between the previously restricted age group enters the temple.
Read More: Sabarimala issue | Shiv Sena threatens mass suicide if women allowed to enter temple
The temple doors will open on 18 October for its routine monthly pujas.
Kerala has been witnessing a series of agitations by various devotee groups and Hindu outfits against the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s decision to implement the apex court order without going for any review petition.
For the last few days, thousands of Ayyappa devotees, including women, have been carrying out protest marches across Thiruvananthapuram against the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple.
The protest, which is being led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saw devotees marching through busy roads raising slogans and holding placards with ‘Save Sabarimala’ written on them.
Security has been tightened in various places in view of a possible disruption to law and order in the state.
Read More: ‘Save Sabarimala’ march, mega protests rock Kerala ahead of temple opening
On Sunday, the BJP-led NDA’s ‘Long March’, which started last week from Pandalam, reached Thiruvananthapuram.
In a bid to sort out the issue amicably, the Travancore Dewasom Board began a meeting on Tuesday with Sabarimala head priest, Pandalam royal family and Ayyappa Sewa Sangh.